Kentucky Barn Fire Claims 10 Horses’ Lives

Around 3:30 a.m., a neighbor reported a fire at the barn that was home to the Thoroughbreds. Major Keith Smith of the La Grange Fire and Rescue Department said firefighters arrived on the scene only a few minutes later to find the 6,700 square foot building in flames.

Although the fire department quickly ruled that the fire was not suspicious – there was no insurance on the building or animals – the cause of the fire is undetermined. The horse owners were renting the property.

“This property sat up on a little hill, and there were some pretty decent little winds,” said Smith. The horse owners, who asked the fire department not to release their names, were not on the property at the time of the fire, but one employee was present. He was not injured.

After the fire was extinguished, officials found the lone goat, a pet.

“It had sustained a little bit of damage from the fire. We got with the owner and the animal control out here and got the goat to the vet,” Smith said. “It appeared that it was going to survive. It had some pretty extensive injuries, but I believe the last report she said it was doing pretty good. If there was any bright spot in the whole thing, that might have been one of them.”